What is Critical Thinking?
• Questioning
• Problem solving
• Understanding

Steps in the Thinking Process
• Unconsciousness
Deactivated

Steps in the Thinking Process
• Consciousness
Random Thoughts

Steps in the Thinking Process
• Perception
Facts and Figures

Steps in the Thinking Process
• Questioning
Source of Critical Thinking

Steps in the Thinking Process
• Problem Solving
Process of Critical Thinking

Steps in the Thinking Process
• Understanding
Solutions

Steps in the Thinking Process
• More Questioning
Positive Feedback

Importance of Critical Thinking...
• Creating a feedback loop that feeds the mind.
– > Questioning ->
– > Critical Thinking ->
– > Understanding ->
– > More Questioning ->

An Official Definition…
• Critical thinking is the disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to understanding and action.

Elements of Critical Thinking...
• Conceptualizing
• Applying
• Analyzing
• Synthesizing
• Evaluating
• Inferring

Critical Thinking Assignments
• Require using the thinking feedback loop.
• Report the results of using the thinking feedback loop through verbal, written, or other expression.

Activate Learning
• Promoting critical thinking leads to active teaching and learning.
• Creates an active feedback loop that promotes more critical thinking!

Analyze
• Examine the parts to clarify the whole .

Analyze-Definition
• determine components
• separate into parts
• determine the core
• examine parts to describe the whole
• distinguish the nature and relationship of parts, elements, aspects, or qualities of a whole

Analyze-Skills
• identify components
• organize parts
• see patterns
• recognize hidden meanings

Analyze-Question Cues
• analyze, separate, order, detail, connect, classify, arrange, divide, select

Evaluate
• Judge the value of two or more things or ideas that are put side by side.

Evaluate-Definition
• examine and judge the value, worth, meaning, extent, amount, or condition
• express the mathematical value or state numerically

Evaluate-Skills
• compare ideas and tell them apart
• make choices based on reasoned argument
• review the value of theories or presentations
• verify the value of evidence
• objectify
• recognize subjectivity

Evaluate-Question Cues
• assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge, clarify, discriminate, support, conclude, compare

Infer
• Identify a trend or line of reasoning and its consequences and outcomes.

Infer-Definition
• deduce, reason, rationalize, explain
• figure out or trace down
• come to recognize, understand, or realize
• determine the effect, result, consequence, or outcome
• determine what is implied, obliged, compelled, required, or called for

Infer-Skills
• support ideas
• identify meanings
• develop interpretations
• draw conclusions
• develop predictions
• connect topics

Infer-Question Cues
• present evidence, support, persuade, describe basis, discuss relationships, describe causes, illustrate, estimate, predict, describe likelihood, observe, clarify, point out, suggest